Notepad

Free speech award

Do you know someone who stands up for free speech when it comes to social justice, racial harmony, community betterment or self-determination? Then go ahead and nominate ’em for the 11th annual Dr. Marketta Laurila Free Speech Award.

Dr. Marketta Laurila is a former UNCA Spanish professor who was denied re-appointment in the ’80s, after voicing her outspoken opposition to this country’s foreign policy in Central America, according to a press release from the Award committee. Although she never was reinstated by the university, her fight inspired the formation of the group that now makes the annual awards.

Nominees must be western North Carolina residents who have acted within the last three years to defend their own or others’ right of free speech, despite personal risk.

“Many nominees and award recipients of earlier years have faced threats of violence, and even death, by those opposed to their ideas and opinions,” according to the press release.

Nominations are due on or before June 1. For a nomination form, write to the Dr. Marketta Laurila Free Speech Award Committee, c/o Asheville-Buncombe Community Relations Council, 50 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville NC 28801.

To learn more, call Virginia McCullough at 258-9782.

Help excavate a village

Anyone wishing to take part in the excavation of a centuries-old Cherokee village can register now for Warren Wilson College’s Cherokee Archeology Field School, which will be held from June 15 to July 10, 8 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday.

The site dates to about 1400 A.D., and has been studied by archaeologists since the mid ’60s.

The class can be taken for credit or merely for the experience; no prior experience or courses are necessary. The noncredit registration fee is $150 per week, and participants can register for as little as one week. Children 8 to 12 may register with a parent. The deadline is May 25.

To learn more, call David Moore at 274-6789.

Outward Bound classes for teens

Teens interested in a bit of a challenge this summer might consider enlisting for an outdoor adventure with the N.C. Outward Bound School. Activities include backpacking, rock climbing, mountain biking, whitewater canoeing and sea kayaking. Summer courses take place as close by as the surrounding mountains, or farther afield, on the Outer Banks, in the Florida Everglades, and in Mexico and Costa Rica. Classes vary in length, from eight to 28 days, and prices start at around $950. Some financial aid is available.

Optimally, kids develop technical skills, learn about wilderness safety, environmental issues, personal responsibility and community service. The school’s courses are all based on “The Four Pillars”: craftsmanship, physical fitness, self-reliance and compassion.

To learn more or request a catalog, call (877) 826-9702, or visit the NCOBS Web site at www.ncobs.org.

Host an exchange student

Bring a little culture into your household by hosting an international exchange student. The American International Youth Student Exchange Program needs host families for the upcoming school year for 25 high school students from France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Denmark and other faraway places.

The students are all fluent in English and have medical insurance and spending money. Families hosting students qualify for an income-tax deduction.

Call the AIYSEP headquarters at (800) 347-7575.

Gay and lesbian legal rights in North Carolina to be discussed

The Western North Carolina Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union will host a panel discussion on the legal standing of gays and lesbians in the state. The session starts at 7 p.m. on May 18 at the West Asheville Public Library, located at 970 Haywood Road.

Next month, the state Gay Pride March and Festival will be held in Asheville. The local chapter of the ACLU wants to offer the public an opportunity to review the current legal status of gays and lesbians, and their “lack of civil liberties,” according to a press release.

The panel will include: the Rev. Joan Marshall of All Souls Cathedral in Asheville; M.K. Cullen, an active member in N.C. Pride; Ed Farthing, a Morganton attorney; and a representative of N.C. Lambda Youth. A question-and-answer session will follow the panelists’ presentations.

To learn more, call Ron Lambe at 252-0643, or Evan Mahaney at 299-0934.

Headaches, heart disease and women

Discover the primary causes of headaches in women and learn about treatment options, during a program entitled “Women and Headaches,” to be held at 1 p.m. on May 14 at the Health Adventure at Pack Place. Anne Ott, clinical director of the Headache Division of the Mountain Neurological Center, and Terence B. McGhee, medical director, will lead the program.

This is the third in a series of four women-related health programs being offered by the Health Adventure. The last program will be “Women and Heart Disease: Knowing Your Risk Factors,” scheduled for 1 p.m. on May 29. It will explore the myths and realities relating to heart disease and stroke. Coronary heart disease is the number-one killer of American women, according to the press release.

To learn more, call the Health Adventure at 254-6373.

Thanks to friends of the French Broad

The Land-of-Sky Regional Council is seeking nominations for the 22nd Annual Friends of the River Award, which will recognize individuals, private organizations, civic groups and public agencies that have made a significant contribution toward the restoration and enhancement of the French Broad River as a recreational, economic and cultural resource.

The types of activities likely to be honored include those that have increased understanding or community awareness of the river, have involved volunteers, or have provided legislative, technical or funding support for river-improvement projects.

Recipients of the award will be honored at Land-of-Sky’s Friends of the River Dinner, during French Broad River Month. The nomination deadline is May 22.

For a nomination form or to learn more, call Becky Rideout at 251-6622.

Clean water awards

The Madison County Health Department will soon have a revolving low-interest-loan fund to help residents stop straight-piping their untreated sewage directly into area streams and rivers. The program is available to residents of Madison County, thanks to a $750,000 grant from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund.

The Fund is a state agency, operating under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Another $551,000 will go toward construction of a sewer-collection line along Bat Fork Creek in Henderson County, and $581,000 will help reduce sediment loads in the Broad River basin.

In all, the CWMTF has made awards to 10 projects, all pending final approval. These projects, for the most part, will assist communities in financing repairs and improvements to wastewater-treatment systems.

To learn more about the awards and the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, call Western Field Representative Tom L. Massie at (828) 586-4133.

Earth Fare’s expansion continues

Asheville-based Earth Fare, Inc. has bought McFadyen’s Market in Greenville, S.C. McFadyen’s was a specialty market housed in a 11,000 square-foot building. The store will be closed while crews overhaul the space.

The new store will open on or before Aug. 1, sporting a new look and new name. This will be Earth Fare’s third store in the Carolinas.

About Webmaster

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.